St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-04
T1rs IN THE PALMER HOUSE.
Potter Palmer Forced To Go Back
10 the old system of Fees TO Ser
wants.


wants.
Chicago Mail.
Beginning on Jan. Potter Palmer took
tiliee OF his employees into partnership with
him, and the hotel is now conducted by the
ralner House company. The gentlemen
thus rewarded are Copeland Townsend,
who has been connected with the house
nine years; Frank A. Brol st. who entered
Mr.. Palmer's employ seven years ago; and
raul II. Lowe, whose connection dates from
1884.
Several years ago Potter Palmer began q
crusade against the tip system He was
actnated by an earnest desire to abolish it,
and, calling John ii. Monroe, his head por-
ter, into the Office, he said: John. you
have been with me for years. You are
honest and industri )us. / have given you
all opportunity to make money and hope
you have saved it, | propose to do all |
possibly can to abolish the evil of tipping
in hotels. If other hotel men will co -oper-
ate we can succeed. Hereafter | will pay
every man a salary and abolish tips in
the Palmer house will pay you S125 a
MONTH"
MI Palmer" said John. 81 can not
stay for less than $50 Il month";"
This sum Mr. Palmer would not pay ard
i
been an anti tip hotel. and thousands of
travellers will be surprised to know that the
old policy of perQuisiteS has been declared.
Moreover, the head porter, Monroe, has
been reinStated
Monroe is man of much individuality.
Seven years ago he signed the temperance
pledge and entered upon career Of tenn
perance reform which has not only benefited
himself, but has materially aided hundreds
OF others. For tile past seven years he has
spent 500 month from his current earn
ings to advance the cause of temperance.
John" said reporter for the Mail to
him to-day, Mr.. Brobst just told me at
the Office that the profits Of the Palmer
house during 1886, from the boot-stand,
were sc, OO0."
THAT doesn't surprise me. 1t is re-
markable how the receipts have dwindled
down since left here
But isn't that pretty good showing?"
''When | was here before we would take
in from $50 to $40 day; now, some days
they run down as low as S12 1t will take
some time to bring up the receipts to tile
old figure
DO You hire all the porters now?"
Yes; | came back on the old terms. |
take the responsibility of the boot-stand and
porters and receive the perquisites for MY
compensation, minus, of course, what l pay
for my help. | now hire seventeen men.
paying them from $25 to $50 month, and
the hotel boards them. They are all tenn
perance boys too. By another month the
business will require forty men in every de-
partment."
What do YOU pay the Palmer house for
this privilege"
Not cent
''Then if the house made $4,000 profit
from the boot-stand last year they will
make nothing this year?"
That's it,"
why does the house return to the tip
system at the sacrifice of handsome rev.
enue?"
Because the other system was making
thieves OF employees. Yes, sir. it was in
wiling and encouraging the rankest dis
honesty. Men who were amply paid would
take money from guests and then add lying
to theft | think. with Mr.. Palmer, that
tipping is an evil; but there are worse ones,
and the policy just abandoned was much
more demoralzing to hotel help. Mr.. Palmer
fought against the feeling of hotel help I'M
aided and alone. He has abandoned it, at
a financial sacrifice, for no other reason
than to secure honesty among employees.
That's the kind OF a man he isl
''What were you making before you left
the Palmer house five years ago."
"Well, say $500 a month; perhaps
more.''
with thirty or forty men under you, and
all on salary. doesn't good proportion of
the tips get away from you?"
John rubbed his Scotch head and said he
thought he was equal to the task of getting
all that belonged to him. MY system is to
offer premium on honesty. The man
who turns in the most money to me in the
course of month receives $50, the next
man SO, next So. Add to this graded
system OF promotion and certainty that
every honest, sober man is sure of perma-
nent position, and you see there is every i'll
ducement to integrity. In addition, how
ever, L keep a watch on the men in
several ways. One is to take a dollar.
more VI less. to guest whom l know, and
request him to hand it to a certain porter
OF bootblack. The honest man gives this
money to me; the dishonest man doesn't,
but he leaves my employ Immediately. If
l wanted to preach temperance sermon
could show you how dishonesty and drunk
enness generally go hand in hand AS
rule, my true temperance boys are the
honest Ones"
Having abolished the tips, how is it
that the receipts of the boot stand have
dwindled?'
For this reason: Guests have argued. Il
won't get my boots BACKED inside, as it all
goes to the Palmer house; I'll go out and
patronize somebody who needs the money!
The average travelling man is a generous
soul. Thousands have their expenses paid,
and are liberal, but very level-headed in
their liberality'
The total receipts i'll Palmer house tips
during 1887 will not be less than $40, 900.